Son arrested for threatening to harm elderly parents

ALFRED — A Meigs County man is in custody after reportedly making threats to harm his elderly parents with a gun.

David O. McCormick, 45, was arrested on Monday evening after a call of a possible hostage situation at the residence he shared with his parents.

In a news release, Meigs County Sheriff Keith Wood stated that on Monday at 5:30 p.m., his office received a call advising of a possible hostage situation on State Route 681 west of Alfred.

Sergeant Don Mohler coordinated deputies to a staging area and met with the daughter of an elderly couple (ages 81 and 77), who advised that her brother was holding their parents against their will by gunpoint and has been making threats to harm them.

Sergeant Mohler was able to obtain more information from the elderly mother during this time that the suspect, David O. McCormick, age 45, was sitting in a front room of the residence and that the parents were in an adjacent room.

Sheriff Wood met with Sergeant Mohler and a plan of action was made where deputies would approach the residence in an unmarked vehicle giving the officers an opportunity to enter the residence undetected. Deputies were able to go to the residence in that unmarked vehicle and were able to enter the residence through a rear door without being detected and take McCormick into custody. McCormick then became combative and began resisting while being escorted to a patrol vehicle. At the time of his arrest, McCormick had a loaded shotgun beside him.

After interviewing the parents, it was also discovered that McCormick’s wife had been at the residence earlier that day and had left after McCormick had allegedly assaulted her and threatened both her and his parents with the shotgun.

Contact was made with McCormick’s wife who confirmed what had been going on that day. Deputies had Meigs EMS come to the residence and check out the elderly couple. Although shaken from the incident, both were found to be uninjured.

McCormick was transported to the Meigs County Jail where he will be awaiting an initial appearance before Judge Steve Story in the Meigs County Court on charges of abduction, domestic violence and resisting arrest.